Robert couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t a condition that particularly bothered him as for the last few weeks, sleep wasn’t an enjoyable activity. Rarely did he go a night without nightmares. If it wasn’t his dead friend asking why Robert hadn’t saved him while trying to stuff pieces of his brain back through the hole in his head, it was about that damn woman, morphed into all manner of demonic visage standing over the dead bodies of the rest of his team.

Of the two, he preferred the former. The gruesome sights would follow him into wakefulness and tie his stomach into knots, but he knew that’s where it ended. Sebas died. It hurt, but there was nothing to be done about it. Eventually, he would stop dreaming about it. They had come less and less frequently.

However, there was no rationalizing away his dreams of Lourianne Tome and they continued to grow more horrific. After their many but brief confrontations, a sense of helplessness had been instilled in his heart, though he’d never speak of it. It mixed with his grief and outrage for her character, turning into a vile loathing of the woman. Without an outlet, as he held no illusions about how a confrontation with her would go, it seeped into his mind, poisoning his thoughts and twisting his already abysmal opinion of her.

His dread over seeing her in his dreams combined with his ruminating on his mentor’s words kept him awake despite his exhaustion. He decided to ask the kitchen if they had something to help him relax. Sipping a cup of tea while exiting the dining room, he was shocked to see Orphelia heading for the entrance. He only caught a brief glimpse of her face before she covered it with the hood of her cloak but it was unmistakable.

What was she doing up this late, disguising herself? Recalling his mentor’s words on how her father had sought to discredit the knight, Robert doubted it could be anything good. In the moments it took her to reach the door, he made the decision to follow her. Leaving his unfinished tea on a table, he hurried after her.

He realized many problems with his plan even as he enacted it. Trailing a woman in the middle of the night wouldn’t look good no matter how he tried to explain his reasonings. Then there was the fact that he was not disguised. There were no obstacles to hide behind as he followed her down the road. All she had to do was turn around and she would recognize him. Or perhaps worse. If he really did discover her doing something untoward, there was nothing stopping her from ‘quieting’ him.

However, by the saints’ luck, she never turned around. Soon, he saw the purpose of her late-night excursion as a large bird dove toward her. Robert almost called out a warning when a painful throbbing forced him to close his eyes. When it finally abated, he opened them to find the bird missing and Lourianne Tome’s thrall walking beside Orphelia.

His heart slammed in his chest as he tried to imagine a reason why the young woman would be sneaking about to meet with the pet of her murderer. A phantom of his past slammed a knife of regret into his chest and twisted the blade. He had the wind affinity. The ‘magic of scouts and spies’, his mentor had called it. Its utility in gathering information was unparalleled.

He knew there existed spells that could carry the sound of the conversation to his ears with crystal clarity but he had no idea how to cast them. He never focused enough on one affinity to learn the advanced spells, preferring to have a wider arsenal of basic abilities. Concentrating on all his affinities meant he would have no weaknesses but without dedicating himself to one, he had no strengths.

The conversation didn’t last long before the two walked off the road, heading for a random smattering of trees. Robert squinted, trying to see what had drawn them to the area but he could spot nothing of importance. Maybe they were meeting someone else? It was a minimal amount of cover, but it was certainly isolated and unexpected.

He quickly debated the merits of continuing his impromptu mission. In the end, he followed them. Whatever was happening, Lourianne Tome was involved, which meant they could be up to no good. He doubted he would come to serious harm. Orphelia was under orders to protect him. Better, his mentor was at the Hall. Should anything happen, the knight would investigate and not even an agent of the crown would escape his judgment. She would know that.

Reassured, Robert moved as quietly as he could. Hiding behind one of the trees, he peered around its edge to observe his targets. What he saw shocked him.

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They were…kissing.

Robert didn’t consider himself an innocent. He had always refused Sebas’ offers to take him to an establishment that catered to those kinds of needs, as it seemed a very unheroic thing to do, but he was knowledgeable of the act itself. He had witnessed many a kiss, mainly between his parents as a boy.

Then there was the scene he witnessed between Lourianne and the guide Cloud, though he had closed his eyes after…certain parts.

However, this was unlike any of those times. By some coincidence, they had chosen an area brightly illuminated by the moon, giving him a clear view. He could see their tongues twining together sloppily, saliva coating their chins. He saw Orphelia attempt to pull away from the kiss, only for the thrall to press their lips together, drawing soft sounds from his teammate.

All the while, the creature undressed her. First, Orphelia’s cloak was thrown aside. Then her shirt and undergarment. He flushed at Orphelia’s moan when the creature fondled her chest, desperately ignoring the tightening of his pants. The thrall pulled down her pants next, trailing its ash-colored tongue down Orphelia’s stomach before pushing its head between her legs.

His teammate who had killed five people by herself trembled like she had no strength as a wail left her throat. He had no doubt she would have crumpled if the thrall did hold her up. She grabbed the creature by its small horns, bucking and jumping as its head bobbed, her moans growing in volume all the while. It went on for several long minutes before Orphelia’s movements became more frantic, her moans turning into a keening sound that became a scream as she suddenly stilled. And then she screamed again, back arcing.

Suddenly, the creature threw her to the ground roughly. It licked its lips as it stared down at Orphelia with the gaze of a wolf eying prey. “Mm. I’m so glad Lou didn’t want you. Another toy for me~”

A wave of disgust rose in Robert’s heart. Lourianne had discarded Orphelia. Had…given someone to what amounted to a pet. Of all the sick things—

“Though it’s too bad I can’t have the blond yet,” the thrall sighed. “Seeing that sharp tongue panting in lust…mm. Breaking her would be fun. But there’s still time. Maybe my master will share.”

Robert didn’t have to think about the words. He knew exactly who she was talking about. Alana. The creature wanted to put its hands on Alana. It wanted to break her. And it implied it hadn’t because…because…

No. There was no way a girl like Alana would want anything to do with a beast like Lourianne Tome. She was strong, brave, and honorable. She was…if Robert had never met Sir Quintana, had he remained the simple son of a guard, she was the kind of girl he could see himself settling down with. Comrades turning into something more. A love born on the battlefield.

Though he had resigned himself to an arranged affair in his efforts to become a true hero, as opposed to the more romantic road of chasing an interest, the thought of someone like Alana being touched by that vile woman and then tossed to her creature when she was no longer of interest made him want to vomit.

“But for now, I have you~”

The thrall lifted its dress, tossing it aside. Robert was both horrified and fascinated when he saw the creature had a man’s tool between its legs, already erect. Was this where Lourianne got the idea? Or had she passed on her sick fetish to her pet? Did she not care about perverting the ways of men and women?

Seeing it before had made him turn his gaze but, perhaps because it was Orphelia, he couldn’t look away as the creature knelt. The thrall turned the girl over and pulled her up so that she was on her hands and knees. Then it mounted her, shoving its cock into her with one brutal thrust.

Orphelia squealed, the sound quickly turning into a chorus of moans as the creature moved. The sound of their hips smacking together was embarrassingly loud. It fucked her like an animal, grasping her hips and driving itself into her relentlessly. Even as Orphelia moaned her released. Even has her hands fisted in the grassed from her second orgasm. Even as her eyes fluttered during her third.

The thrall never stopped, all the while cackling. It grabbed her by the arms, using them as handles to hold her up, pounding into her so hard her medium sized breasts bounced rapidly. Its tail coiled around her throat, choking off the sounds of her pleasure.

“Take it all, my pretty little bitch! You’re all mine, haha!”

Robert closed his eyes and hurried away. He couldn’t watch anymore. That wasn’t lovemaking. That thing was using her. Oh, he knew Orphelia was enjoying it, that much was obvious from the sounds she was making. But after the qualifiers, he had taken the time to research thralls and succubi. He also knew that enjoyment may not necessarily be her choice and definitely was dangerous. Those who tasted the pleasures of thralls never went back. The creatures made men, and he supposed women, into their puppets, mindless husks ruled by their desires.

That thing wanted to do that to Alana. That was what would happen to her if she rejected Lourianne. Truthfully, Robert couldn’t decide what was worse. And, as if prompted by his indecision, a worse possibility came to him.

What if…Lourianne used the thrall’s powers to seduce her? Unbidden, the picture of Alana on her back with that woman looming over her, stern features melted in an expression of ecstasy, and that creature watching from the sides while awaiting its turn, came to mind. His hands balled into fists as the tightening of his pants at his crotch became more uncomfortable.

No. Robert wouldn’t let that happen. She deserved better. He might not have been able to save Sebas but…he would save her.

No matter what.